I often wonder why teachers want to do this. Who does it benefit? Is it for the children or for themselves? They will say it is for the children, but is it? I myself refuse to switch kids for reading or math. If you are truly doing a workshop it is not necessary. Also, when you group by ability, the struggling student has few exemplar models to learn from. Yes, the teacher can scaffold, but in my experience, the teacher ends up doing a lot of work during the discussion and sharing, that the more capable students have done before. It is powerful for students to learn from each other. Another big reason not to... If you truly believe learning is cross curricular, across the day, linking all subjects and experiences, you lose that connection. How can you refer to a read aloud if only 1/3 of your current class has heard it? How can you use language experience to build writing and vocabulary skills if your students change and so some were not in the room when that happened? AND... It would be hard pressed for a teacher to meet the needs of 20-30 "low" students in one class. They often need 1 on 1 support and guided reading. ELLS need you to model language -much more successful with a group of 5 interacting with you in close proximity, than 29 waiting while one speaks in a class of 30. Best to build a community of learners who respect and care for each other, than have a revolving door where students are "running the bases" all day touching home base once in awhile.
I believe in self-contained classrooms in all elementary grades. I think the statement we switch kids in 6th grade to get them ready for middle school is ludicrous. Our school used to do this and started out doing it this year. We had a primary teacher move up to sixth grade this year and she hated the switching. Behaviors were not up to par, homework was a chase them down game and no one seemed to connect or care about the community. She talked her teammates into going self contained and they love it. The students are doing better, and their is more accountability. Jan Holding a grudge is like eating rat poison and waiting for the rat to die. -Anne Lamott On 2/11/09 10:35 AM, "Delores Gibson" <[email protected]> wrote: > Does anyone have and/or know of where I can go to find research > on departmental teaching for FIRST GRADE? Some of the teachers want > to seen six year olds from room to room (switch classes) for > reading and math. I'm opposed because I believe strongly in > self-contained classroom for first grade. Instead of just doing it > because it might be easier I can't get anyone to tell me what > research supports or does not support this for first grade. HELP!!!! > Dee > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
